Winter Workshop for Priests a Success

From
February 9 to13, 2009, priests from diverse parts of the United States
and Canada studied the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite (1962 Missale
Romanum)
under the direction of the Canons Regular of St. John Cantius. Two
classes were offered, one for beginners, learning the ceremony and
rubrics of Missa Lecta (Low Mass) for the first
time, and an advanced class for those studying the Missa
Cantata (High Mass).

The
priests studying the Traditional Latin Mass for the very first time
this week were able to offer Low Mass before the close of the study
week. The priests studying the art of celebrating the Missa
Cantata were able to sing the High Mass by the middle of the
study week.

On
Wednesday evening one of the students studying High Mass, Fr. John
Ubel, Pastor of St. Agnes Church in St. Paul, MN, offered the Missa
Cantata
with incense. As Fr. Anthony J. Rice, S.J.C. directed the music for the
Extraordinary Form High Mass in Honor of Our Lady of Lourdes, the other
priests served the various positions of High Mass, such as thurifer,
crucifer, acolyte, etc. having been trained earlier that day by Br.
Robert Brajkovich, S.J.C.

As the students concentrating on Low Mass
gained competency to offer the Missa Lecta,
priests began offering the Low Mass at the various private altars in
the Oratory of the lower level of the Strtich House. The priests were
eager to serve Mass for one another so that they might return to their
parishes and train their altar boys to do the same. Fr. James
Richardson of the St. Philip Neri House in Kalamazoo, MI,
offered his
first Low Masses by the end of the week, as did Fr. Daniel J. Becker of
the Worchester, MA Dicoese, and Fr. Ahn of the Archdiocese of Toronto,
Ontario.

Additional
Masses were sung each day during the second half of the week as the
priests learned to offer and serve the simple form of High Mass without
incense and then the more ornate form of the Missa Cantata
with incense.

The Most
Rev. Thomas Paprocki, Auxiliary
Bishop of Chicago, visited the priests studying the Extraordinary Form
under the direction of the Canons Regular of St. John Cantius. He
congratulated the priests on their dedication and faithfulness to the
Church and encouraged them to implement what they learn in their
parishes.

Talks were
given on the importance of
sacred music in the Traditional Latin Mass. The use of Gregorian Chant,
Sacred Polyphony, and organ music were discussed. The rubrics of
liturgical music as it applies to the priest, the choir and the people
were explained. The students in the Low Mass course also were
introduced to the musical role of the priest in the Missa
Cantata, being introduced to the singing of the various
parts of Mass and learning the rules of chanting these beautiful
prayers.

Talks were given on the proper understanding
of active participation
of the faithful in the Liturgy, the Mystical Theology and Ceremonies of
the Mass and the Extraordinary Form in parish life today.

Demonstration of the rubrics of Low Mass
included Mass with one
server, two servers and Low Mass without a server. On the last day of
the workshop priests were also introduced to the Rite of Baptism (1962 Rituale
Romanum).

The students in the High Mass class studied
also Ember Days,
Rogation Days, and more. Question and answer sessions addressed
questions about the Roman Breviary of 1962, pastoral application of the
Traditional Latin Mass in parish life and more.